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Kate Perkins

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Recently a group Pequot Lakes High School Students led the charge in collecting thousands of items and hundreds of dollars for local food shelves. Sophomore Angela Gudahl was one of the students who coordinated the food drive. She said that she and fellow students were inspired to hold the drive after attending We Day, an event the group attended on Oct. 8 in the Twin Cities. The event focused on empowering young people and focusing on the “we” rather than the “me” We Day inspired the club to hold the food drive, called “We Scare Hunger,” fitting with the Halloween season.

Nisswa Smiles dentist Luke Waln remembers how he enjoyed receiving care packages while deployed in Afghanistan with the Army. Now his dental office is paying it forward— Nisswa Smiles hosted a candy buy back day, and the 149 pounds of candy collected will be added to care packages sent to troops overseas.

The Breezy Point Police Department executed a search warrant on Oct. 29 south of Breezy Point, in rural Pequot Lakes, locating a stolen handgun that led to the arrest of Jayden Alexander Cardias, 18. Cardias was charged with receiving stolen property, a felony.

On Tuesday, Oct. 29, staff from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) met with citizens at Nisswa City Hall for an open house to inform the public of landscaping plans along the recently reconstructed stretch of Highway 371 through Nisswa. The plan includes planting a wide variety of shrubs and trees. Pines to be planted include two types of spruce, red cedar, white pines and red Norway pines. Deciduous trees include elm, linden, three types of oak, butternut, two types of maples, birch and hackberry. Shrubs to be planted include three types of lilac and sumac.

The Breezy Point City Council approved a development agreement with Whitebirch Inc. for Whitebirch Village, an active adult community to be built in the city. Whitebirch Inc. is planning to build what will ultimately be a 52-unit development off of Whitebirch Drive. The city plans to pave roadways for the development and connect the development to city sewer. City administrator Joe Rudberg said the development will be twin homes built in three phases. The first phase includes nine twin homes on Whitebirch Drive.

The Patriot Activities Club (PAC), formerly the Patriot Athletic Club, has given more than $132,000 to Pequot Lakes student activities in the last 10 years. That money has provided pads for the gym walls, uniforms and equipment for sports teams, a $50 stipend for all state participants and supported activities such as grad blast and prom.

The Crosslake City Council held a public hearing Monday, Oct. 28, to discuss whether to vacate a portion of road as requested by citizens. The piece of road in question was a 33-foot by 179-foot stretch of Silver Peak Road that serves as a driveway to the two properties requesting the city vacate the land. The matter raised the larger issue of whether the council’s policy is to vacate roads.

The future of the Crosslake and Pequot Lakes libraries was discussed Tuesday, Oct. 22, as area council members, library directors, mayors and Kitchigami Regional Library System (KRLS) board members gathered in Brainerd. The group gathered in part to deliberate whether Pequot Lakes or Crosslake libraries should become KRLS branches. Currently the two libraries are affiliate libraries and receive funds for materials and book delivery through the KRLS system.

The inside of officer Jake Maier’s police vehicle shows a wide range of gear, preparing him for just about anything — whether it’s making a routine traffic stop, pursuing felony warrants or aiding in a seven-hour standoff. Maier works nights for the Crosslake Police Department and allowed an Echo Journal writer into the passenger’s seat of the department’s 2012 Dodge Charger squad car for the beginning of an evening shift, offering a glimpse into the day-to-day efforts of area police officers.

The 24th annual Nisswa Christmas Tour of Homes took place Oct. 17-19 and once again all 900 tickets were sold. Chair of the event, Linda Martin, said four houses were included on the tour, with three decorated by one business each and one decorated by two businesses. Participating businesses included Woodland Meadow, Green Porch, Massie Creek, The Red Umbrella and Buffalo Plaid. Massie Creek and The Red Umbrella worked together to decorate one house.